just like a blue gem shining

By: Aviantei

Part Twelve:

"A Calm Pond, Waiting for Ripples"

Something that Rairi didn't learn until much, much later last time was that the Ubuyashiki family has some sort of weird clairvoyance thing going on. You wouldn't know it, what with all the shit they didn't seem to see coming, but that's neither here nor there. It wasn't a perfect clairvoyance anyways—just a very powerful instinct that had led their family to success many times, including predicting whenever Kibutsuji would appear for the final battle. Whenever Kiriya predicted that Rairi's firstborn would end up coming about a week early and was right, they were convinced.

And it's the knowledge of such precognition that Rairi is relying on now to help make their case. If Oyakata-sama has some form of precognition, then it's not unreasonable for him to believe that Rairi is much the same. It was part of why convincing him to believe in Shimizu's notes last time was so simple, even without the support of Kiriya, Mitsuri, and Rengoku.

"Knowledge from the future," Oyakata-sama says, not a trace of disbelief in his words. "Jigorō did mention that you all took to Thunder Breathing far quicker than any students he's had before. Is this knowledge of yours a part of that?"

There's no sense in lying whenever Rairi's the one that brought it up, so they nod. "More or less. There's some physical limitations, but since we were all taught Thunder Breathing before, we've been able to become proficient much quicker than normal training would allow." Putting aside the couple of Canon geniuses who went from zero combat experience to Hashira in a year, but Rairi doesn't need to be a genius to accomplish what they want.

At least I hope I don't have to be.

"I can back them up," Kaigaku says, not faltering from his role as Rairi's support in the slightest. "I know that may not mean much, but we have the same foreknowledge. If we use it the right way, the Demon Slayer Corps will have a huge advantage." Rairi can't help it; they reach out and grab Kaigaku's hand. His time as an Upper Moon, while brief and horrible, still has plenty they can work with to help create a better future. Both of their calluses are rough as they scrape against each other, but the connection is what matters. "Even if you don't believe us, please give us a chance."

And then Kaigaku dips his head all the way to the ground, though Rairi can see him tremble as he does it. On his hands and knees, before the Upper Moon One, pleading for his life—nausea twists Rairi's stomach, and they join Kaigaku in dogeza, matching Kaigaku's resolve with their own. "Please, Oyakata-sama."

Please help us save as many people as possible.

"Rest easy, Kaigaku, Rairi." The words are simple, but they give Rairi hope that things aren't going to be a lost cause as they take the permission to sit. Sure, if necessary, they would've gone rogue to accomplish what they're aiming for, but it's nice to not have to. "While I do not claim to have any definitive knowledge, my bloodline has been known to carry a rather strong instinct. It was with those feelings that I chose to implement your proposals when you first sent them to me, and it was with that instinct that I decided to discuss matters with you today." The girls remain silent, but Hinaki and Nichika glance up to their father. Yeah, well, this is kind of news to me, too. "I can grant you half a year to act as you please. I would like to give you longer, but any more than that would doubtless cast more suspicion upon you by those who already have concerns about your methods." Yeah, Rairi's got some good guesses about who that's going to be. Shinazugawa and Iguro were never subtle about their distaste for so-called weaklings. "Do you believe you all could make headway in such a timeframe?"

Rairi furrows their brow. Six months isn't a lot, even if they know where to start looking. They kind of have the advantage, since Kibutsuji hasn't just…offed the Lower Moons yet, but also anyone but Rui and Enmu's locations are kind of fuzzy because of that. Hell, Enmu's location is fuzzy anyways, since there's no guarantee the Lower Moon One is on the Mugen Train already. There's just as many disadvantages to advantages when it comes to being as ahead of schedule as they are. I might be stronger than I was before, but am I strong enough to defeat a Kizuki right out of the gate?

"We'll do it," Kaigaku says. While it's an answer to Oyakata-sama, he's also looking right at Rairi, which means the message is for them. "We worked hard to get to this point, and we're not going to back down. "So long that we show our knowledge has merit, that's all we need to do, right? Six months should be plenty to prove that."

That's right. They don't have to save the world or make sure Kibutsuji is defeated in that time. All they have to do is prove that their foreknowledge can be trusted—and if they can get at least one of them to Hashira in time? That should be a good enough start. Even if I'm not ready to take on a Lower Moon yet, I know either Zenitsu or Kaigaku will be. Together, we can do anything.

"If you're giving us this opportunity, we won't waste it," Rairi says, feeling confident at last. They're a student of Thunder Breathing, and they're not about to give up just yet. Sensei would never let them live it down if they wimped out now. "Thank you very much for hearing us out, Oyakata-sama."

Kaigaku echoes Rairi's gratitude, but Oyakata-sama shakes his head. "Thank you for being willing to point out flaws in our system. It's rather refreshing." Hm, yeah, the Hashira kinda have a whole hero worship thing going on with Oyakata-sama. To be outright told that something is wrong and not having that backed down from might just be novel to the man.

"I believe that part of respecting someone is being willing to acknowledge faults and help work through them. Though on that note, if I may make another request?" It's a brazen thing to do, but if Rairi's going to spend the next half a year scrambling to prove their worth, then they have no idea when they'll next have a live audience with Oyakata-sama to keep making structural changes. "The Hashira have great skill and knowledge on their side. To best help the Corps, they will need to be able to impart that knowledge to others. I know it will be rough for some of them, but please help accustom the Hashira to the idea of teaching others beyond Tsuguko. In an ideal world, all of them would take on the role, but, for now, just even having one or two of them helping catch the Corps up to speed alongside the mentorship program would be a great boon."

Did the Hashira all kinda suck at teaching? Yeah. But if even a couple—Kochō, Mitsuri, and Rengoku—were to pass on some skills, it would help raise everyone's collective level, even just the slightest.

Every last piece of EXP counts, dammit! So let's do some goddamn power leveling while we get the chance!

Oyakata-sama's expression doesn't waver, but Rairi can't help but wonder if he can already see the sort of challenge that will propose. Well, for the time being, that's a him problem to deal with, not a them problem, baby! "I shall take that into consideration," he says, which is polite bureaucracy for "good luck with that." Yup, yup, just about what Rairi expected. "That said, if you have any particular details about what you believe would be best to have taught in these sessions, having that as a guideline could prove helpful."

What's that? Is that…more work for me to pick up? Rairi is in absolute shock and awe. Still, if they work off of what the Hashira based their training around before, it shouldn't be too difficult to come up with something. Kaigaku sighs, as if he can already tell what Rairi's thinking, but he doesn't stop them, either. Besides, Zenitsu knows how to build lesson plans, too, so it's not like they'll have to put up with it all alone! Besides, if it's gonna help, who's Rairi to refuse? "I'll see what I can come up with."

"That would be much appreciated. Now, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Rairi smiles. "I think it would be better to discuss those things once we've proven our knowledge is true." Which is for the most part because Rairi knows that once they get started, they won't stop. Better to have a whole tirade whenever they have some clout behind them. Besides, Rairi's already gotten permission to drop another giant pile of documentation on Oyakata-sama in the meantime, so that'll have to do.

"You're too soft, Rairi-senpai," Kaigaku mutters, and Rairi has the distinct feeling they're gonna end up on the receiving end of a lecture later, which is kind of to be expected. What's a little less expected is the way that Kaigaku stares at Oyakata-sama dead-on and says, "You better tell the current Hashira to watch out, because we'll be joining them soon."

From a political standpoint, Rairi should be mortified that Kaigaku is throwing down such a blatant show of disrespect.

From a personal standpoint, that Kaigaku has enough confidence in them to make an outright declaration of war makes their heart so fucking full.

Oyakata-sama does not laugh, but there is something like amusement floating on the edges of his expression. "I'll be sure to pass that on."

And so the unexpected meeting at Demon Slayer Headquarters comes to an end.

It's time for another episode of Shimizu's Awkward Adventures in Experiencing Places She's Only Seen in Anime, with your host, Urokodaki Shimizu!

You'd think she'd be used to it now, but it never stops being weird. Even more so is the whole Meeting Anime Characters in Person thing, but that's not what's getting to her the most. Yeah, she knew about the core Thunder Family, but the Thunder Estate has way more going on than just that. There's Saori-san, who greeted them, as well as a handful of other household help that keep the place in working condition. The contrast between that and Urokodaki-san's hut up in the mountains is kinda striking.

"This is the tree, though, huh?" she asks, making it to the hillside along the edges of the Estate. The tree in question looks like any other tree, but, in Canon and the last round, Zenitsu climbed up it to escape training, got stuck by lightning, and had his hair change to yellow. "I'm sure that wasn't a fun experience for you, though."

Zenitsu shrugs. "I don't remember much of it, if I'm being honest. Plus it all happened so long ago…" Right, there's that to contend with, too. Things that happened just a couple of years ago from Shimizu's point of view must seem like ancient history to Zenitsu. "I can't even remember what I was so afraid of anymore, but maybe that's because I figured out the things I was fighting for."

"You did seem nervous about Saori-san, though."

"You don't know, okay? She's scary! Even Jī-chan works hard not to piss her off!" Shimizu giggles. There's something reassuring about knowing even former Hashira aren't indomitable. Still, the way that Saori-san knew about Urokodaki-san… The moment her mood dips, Zenitsu looks to her in concern. "You wanna talk about it?"

Considering that Shimizu's been spending most of the past year alone and shoving her feelings down, her first instinct is to say no, but she knows that's stupid. "I just…there's so much I don't know about you all. Even without the time loop thing." Being there, at the Thunder Estate, is a pretty solid reminder. "Whenever I came to this world the first time, I thought I understood everything I needed to know. Whenever I met Rairi, I assumed they were just some background character that never got fleshed out. And now, there's so many more people here than I imagined. And since I don't know, I worry I'll make some other mistake…"

Zenitsu nods along, and Shimizu can't help but wonder if he has similar worries inside of him. All of them must, considering second chances like this don't come often. "You and Rairi worry about the same things," Zenitsu says after it's clear Shimizu isn't continuing. Zenitsu starts to walk, and Shimizu follows along, half observing the scenery, a place full of so many memories that she's never been a part of. "I don't know if you noticed, but they tend to want to take on everything by themself. I'm sure if they didn't catch me practicing the Honoikazuchi no Kami, they would've plowed on ahead and tried to sort out the timeline on their own."

For some reason, Shimizu never expected there to be a side to Rairi like that, which is silly. Last time, even with the barest scraps of knowledge, they were ready to do something, from racing in to save Rengoku to making the mentorship system for the Corps. Not to mention with the way they say whatever's on their mind, it's hard to imagine Rairi hesitating and worrying about anything at all.

"I guess what I'm saying," Zenitsu continues, "is that we're all worried, I'm sure. Every action we take is going to have consequences, and we've already gotten things off track. Even if we see short-term good results, we don't know how that's going to impact things the further we get down the line. But isn't that what normal life is like? Not knowing what comes next? All we can do is make choices we think are right, see what comes of it, adjust when necessary, and keep walking forward, no matter what kind of path we're on. Besides, we're all walking together this time, right? We can keep each other on track!"

"Yeah, that's true, huh?" It's the sort of thing that Shimizu knows from a logical standpoint, but her emotions need a reminder of the violent and bashing variety, and, even then, Shimizu's not convinced it'll sink in. Her life just seems to be one unbelievable thing after another. No wonder she ever has time to adjust. "Sorry in advance, but I'm sure I'm going to need reminded of that pretty much all the time."

Zenitsu chuckles. "You think that's a big deal? Rairi does that for me all the time, and I do it for them. It's just how our brains work sometimes." Right. Since Rairi also has twenty-first century knowledge, they must've recognized Zenitsu's anxiety for what it is early on. Hm, that also means Rairi brought up other twenty-first century values. No wonder Zenitsu was so well-adjusted last time. He and Shimizu have made it down the hill, and they're approaching a grove of trees, which Zenitsu keeps along the border of. "I know it's not always easy, but if you tell us when you're worried, we can reassure you. With all of us leaning on each other, we can figure it out."

Coming to a stop, Zenitsu stretches up into the tree branches, needing to get on his tiptoes to reach it, muttering something about how it sucks being shorter again. Shimizu giggles and comes up to his side, though she knows she won't be much help—Shimizu's even smaller, even if it's just by a few centimeters. In the end, Zenitsu succeeds, and it takes Shimizu a belated moment to realize he was tugging down fruit from the trees, and now there's a pair of peaches in his hands, one of which he presses into Shimizu's palm.

"Here," he says, sounding satisfied. "They're always best when they're fresh off the tree, and these should be good! Hm, the harvest is pretty heavy this time of year, too… We should probably come out and help Kimiko-san and the others while we're waiting for our swords, then."

Halfway lost in thought, Zenitsu takes a bite of the fruit, letting out a sound of pure food bliss. If there's something Shimizu does appreciate about the Taishō Era, it's that there's nowhere near the amount of preservatives and other junk to think about in food. A fresh fruit from the orchard is almost a blessing in that way, and all the more so because it's nothing mass produced, just nature putting in the hard work to make something amazing.

Encouraged on by Zenitsu's enthusiasm, Shimizu takes a bite. The faint fuzziness of the skin tickles her tongue, and then the sweet flavor explodes right afterwards. Juice breaks out of the bite, dribbling onto her finger. It just might be the best peach she's ever tasted.

And yet—something in her twists up, a coil in her at maximum capacity ready to break. Shimizu chews and swallows, feeling a faint sense of nausea. She should keep the thought to herself. It seems unnecessary to drag Zenitsu down with her whenever it's clear he's doing better, he's still filled with optimism. But she just got a mini-speech from him about the power of friendship, so ignoring that to wallow in her own angst seems silly when she at long last has a support system that understands.

"Zenitsu-kun," she says, and he makes a questioning sound through his mouthful of peach, "how the hell did you manage to forgive him?"

[Author's Notes]

We're really moving along here! Now Rairi and co have some allies. The other problem is that, well, there's still discord between allies to sort out.

Thanks to ToonyTwilight, Bones8864, ColorPencilsShine, Omarak, tperrylife66, LORDOP, serolux, and needforgoodfanficisreal for the comments, faves, and follows on the walk steady series since last time. It's thanks to all of you that I keep feeling motivated more than usual to work on my fics!

Happy New Year's Eve! I know it's technically already the next year in most of the world, but I'm squeezing this one in in the last few hours of 2024 in my time zone, so it still counts. Thank you all for a lovely year!

As a little treat, the next two days will have updates to the companion fics, wandering road, wherever you are and night streets, free walking. Please look forward to it!

-Avi

[31 December 2024]